Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 208: Chapter 208 His Protection, Her Pain

Rose gazed at the man’s strikingly handsome face.

Her heart felt as though it were being encased, inch by inch, in shards of ice.

She suddenly understood what Ryan meant.

He knew exactly what she was trying to do, so he had chosen to fight fire with fire, because he knew she could never afford to keep up with him.

And Ryan was making one thing very clear.

Whether he acted as the organizer or the buyer, the antiques she wanted to protect would never end up in her hands.

A wave of emotion welled up in Samantha’s eyes.

She cast Rose another meaningful glance.

Her smile became even sweeter.

Rose understood.

She simply couldn’t compete with Ryan.

That helplessness filled her chest like scorching sand, and disappointment flickered in her eyes as she looked at him.

Ryan seemed completely indifferent to Rose’s emotions.

He spoke calmly. “Thank you all for joining us today. I’ll begin with the first item of the collection, and shortly afterward, it will be presented to one lucky guest here.”

Rose looked at him sharply.

As if she had heard him wrong.

The moment Ryan finished speaking, applause and cheers erupted throughout the hall.

Samantha was momentarily stunned before looking at him with deep emotion.

“Ryan, thank you for doing so much for me...”

Ryan purchased the lamp himself and gifted it to a guest in the audience who had expressed admiration for it.

He was expanding Samantha’s network while simultaneously helping her restore her reputation.

When she eventually started over, the people present today—those who had benefited from Ryan’s generosity—would become valuable connections and potential allies.

It was killing several birds with one stone.

Rose also understood Ryan’s true intentions.

A dull ache spread through her chest.

She curled her lips into a self-deprecating smile.

In this regard, she truly was no match for Ryan.

He had completely cut off her path.

He was telling her that no matter how much trouble she caused, he could always outbid her and even turn it into a favor for someone else.

The Bennett family’s lifetime of hard work had become nothing more than a stepping stone for Samantha.

Daisy could hardly conceal the pride on her face.

“Rose is simply overestimating herself. So what if she inherited the Bennett family’s assets? She insists on going against Sam, and Ryan would never allow that.”

Logan sighed. “If that child had any sense, things wouldn’t have come to this.”

Diana’s eyes reddened with anger.

Faced with an opponent who was always one step ahead, she felt as though she were about to cough up blood, let alone Rose.

Rose took Diana’s hand and lowered her head in thought.

She knew she couldn’t compete with Ryan.

The gap between them was simply too great.

Ryan had already seen through her intentions.

Today, there was no way she could stop this.

His purpose was to keep her from participating in any of the auctions.

Rose closed her eyes briefly.

She had no choice but to accept reality.

The only thing she could do now was photograph every item.

These pieces all belonged to the Bennett family.

If any of them turned out to be among the heirlooms her grandfather had forbidden from being sold, then one day, after she had gained enough strength, she would reclaim them one by one.

Before the grand spectacle arranged for Samantha came to an end, Rose chose to leave.

While Diana went to retrieve the car, Rose took one final look around the small building.

As she rounded the corner, she noticed a sign.

At the very bottom were the names of the organizers.

Ryan.

Samantha.

Their names appeared side by side.

It looked just like a wedding sign for the bride and groom.

“You’re still here? Everyone’s together now. We’ve reserved a restaurant. Would you like to join us?”

Rose turned around.

Samantha was walking beside Ryan.

She was radiant.

Today’s sales had exceeded forty million dollars.

Every cent would go to the foundation.

Not only would it help repair her reputation, but it would also divert public attention away from the Angel incident and focus it on her charitable work instead.

Rose remained expressionless.

An invitation at a time like this felt nothing more than a display of triumph.

She did not even spare Ryan a glance before turning away.

Today, she had once again realized just how cold and heartless Ryan could be toward her.

Ryan turned his head slightly.

His deep, unreadable eyes followed Rose’s retreating figure.

He remained silent for a long moment before finally saying, “Let’s go.”

Samantha noticed his indifferent expression.

Her smile grew even sweeter.

*****

Rose was in a terrible mood.

Diana had an urgent meeting and needed to return to the television station first.

After seeing her off, Rose suddenly felt lost.

She didn’t know where she wanted to go.

An emptiness lingered inside her.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t upset.

She sat quietly in her car for a long time, forcing herself to push aside everything that had happened at the antique shop.

Only after regaining her composure did she drive to the hospital.

At that moment, Gabriel had just finished his treatment and was sitting in a wheelchair, watering the flowers.

When he saw Rose, he smiled. “Have you eaten yet, RoRo?”

A pang of guilt suddenly struck her.

An overwhelming sense of anxiety and shame washed over her.

If only she had not been so young and impulsive.

If she had not rushed headlong into love like a moth flying into a flame and married Ryan without hesitation, perhaps things would never have reached this point.

The Bennett family would not have been dragged into all of this.

Perhaps she could have protected at least some of the family’s possessions.

“What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”

Gabriel was often forgetful, but seeing Rose force a smile still made his heart ache.

Rose shook her head. “No, Grandpa. I’m fine.”

She took a deep breath and showed him the photos she had taken of the fifteen antiques.

“Grandpa, when I was little, you told me that some family heirlooms could never be sold. Are any of them among these?”

Gabriel was not entirely clear-minded to begin with.

As soon as Rose changed the subject, his attention drifted elsewhere while she flipped through the photographs.

His cloudy eyes reflected confusion and fatigue. “I don’t recognize these things. I’ve never seen them before.”

He returned to watering the flowers.

Rose sighed helplessly.

Grandpa had become confused again.

Not only had he forgotten which items could never be sold, but he had even forgotten his own collection.

Still, she didn’t press him.

She would figure something out eventually.

After having dinner with Gabriel, Rose finally left the hospital.

As expected, the Antique Shop Charity Foundation became a tremendous success for Samantha.

When Rose arrived at G.S., Caleb came to speak with her.

“Didn’t the antique shop partner with Samantha to establish some kind of charity foundation? I heard they donated forty million dollars, and the authorities even publicly commended the antique shop. Samantha has basically cleared her name from the malpractice scandal. No one is even talking about it anymore.”

Rose was not surprised.

After all, she had personally witnessed how Ryan had removed every obstacle standing in Samantha’s way.

“And the antique shop itself? I heard it’s become a major attraction now. Some of the pieces there aren’t even found in museums. Its popularity has skyrocketed, and the whole place has been revitalized.”

Rose looked at the news.

It took her a long time before she finally said, “That’s good.”

At the very least, the antique shop still belonged to the Bennett family.

Samantha had once again escaped unscathed, and Rose was no longer surprised.

With Ryan standing beside her, what did Samantha have to fear?

Even if the sky fell, Ryan would hold it up for her.

Although Samantha’s project would likely never launch, her future was already secure.

For anyone else, there would be nothing left to rely on.

That afternoon, just as Rose was preparing to leave work, her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen.

She stopped in her tracks, surprised.

It was Ryan.